The Crow's Nest vol. 47 Iss. 20

crowsneststpete.com

The student newspaper at USF St. Petersburg February 4, 2013 | Volume 47 | Issue 20

Should I stay or should I go?Rays owner argues for options for a new stadium

pg. 8

Students seek $10,000 for

new recycling stations

pg. 2

By Tyler KilletteStaff Reporter

Fees for dining, housing and park-ing at USF St. Petersburg are expected to increase in the 2013-2014 school year to fund on-cam-pus renovations and account for rising living costs.

A student living in Residence Hall One or the University Student Center with a gold meal plan and a resident parking permit can expect to dish out nearly $300 next year.

Housing fees for RHO and the USC will increase by 2 percent; however, fees for Hilton residents will decrease by 17 percent.

For fall 2012 and spring 2013 semesters, RHO residents paid $3,845 and USC residents paid $3,710. The 2 percent increase will tack on about $75 to next year’s rates.

Kay-lynne Taylor, director of Student Affairs, explained that housing fees usually increase slightly each year to keep housing at a particular standard and fund general projects while accounting for rising costs of living.

Last year, housing fees went up by 1.6 percent. The money went toward renovations in RHO, including the replacement of most carpeting with tile, overall paint-ing, landscaping, new lounge fur-niture and the installation of flat-screen TVs in each lounge area.

Student Affairs will use excess funds from the increase to provide RHO residents with living condi-tions as similar as possible to those in the USC, which is a newer, more modern building, Taylor said.

Parking fees for 2013-2014 will go up by about 5 percent, adding $4 a semester to commuter

permits and $6 a semester to resi-dent permits.

At the Student Government general assembly on Jan. 30, Julie Jakway of Administrative and Financial services explained that the money would be used to main-tain the parking garage and fund its expansion — a project currently in planning stages.

Costs for meal plans at the Reef will go up by 3.3 percent, increas-ing the $1,705.00 gold plan and $1,066.50 green plan by about $60 and $35 respectively. This does not include tax or SharkBite dollars used to purchase a la carte items at the Reef or Red Mango.

Part of this price adjustment is written into Sodexo’s 5-year con-tract, which mandates a 1-percent increase after the first year.

The remaining 2.3 percent of the increase comes from the U.S.

Consumer Price Index, which measures changes in retail prices of goods and services. Meal plan prices fluctuate upon CPI as it increases or decreases each year, explained Josef Rill, assistant direc-tor of USFSP Auxiliary Services.

To justify meal plan increases, Rill presented a comparison of USFSP’s dining fees with schools in other states at the Jan. 30 SG gen-eral assembly.

The Reef’s gold plan was ranked 10th cheapest out of 14 schools sampled while the green plan was ranked seventh cheapest out of 10 schools sampled, he said, adding that both plans are cheaper than any at USF Tampa.

SG senators at the assembly were mostly accepting of the price adjustments, seeing it as a means for dining service improvement.

SG Sen. Franklin Alves has

worked at the Reef and claimed to have seen serving stations cleaned with chemicals while food was still out, and expressed concerns about meat used in the meat grinder. He believes the price increase could help improve the quality of work performed at the Reef.

Rill said that although regu-lar health inspections have found minor issues, the Reef passes all regulations regarding food quality.

Rill and representatives from Sodexo invite students to attend Dining Advisory Council meetings to voice their opinions about dining services and make suggestions for improvement. Meetings are held every other Thursday at 5 p.m. in the USC Coral Room.

[email protected]

Fee increases on the table

Sophia Constantine is one of two Student Government members asking students to sign petitions for new recycling stations on campus. They would replace the current garbage cans, which have weathered poorly since they were installed three years ago.

Thomas Boyd, The Crow’s Nest

crowsneststpete.comFebruary 4, 2013 | Volume 47 | Issue 20

News BriefsBy Jane McInnisCrow’s Nest Correspondent

Discussions are under way between National Public Radio-member station WUSF-FM and USF St. Petersburg about the possibility of the station setting up a studio on campus.

Aiming to expand publish-ing and broadcasting opportuni-ties for students with an on-site recording booth, the Department of Journalism and Media Studies’ proposal to partner with WUSF has been provisional but ongoing.

Scott Finn, who left his position

as WUSF news director in January to direct public broadcast-ing in West Virginia, originally approached the journalism depart-ment with the idea to set up a news bureau at USFSP. Discussion lulled in January with his departure.

“It’s still on the burner,” said assistant reporter Steve Newborn, who is currently filling in as the station’s news director. He said the current negotiations are tentative.

Newborn said WUSF would simply be using office space at USFSP to expand coverage in St. Petersburg while providing a small recording booth for their reporters

who live on the Pinellas side of the bay.

The department’s Digital Journalism and Design program took part in a multimedia collabo-ration with The Tampa Bay Times and WUSF-FM last summer, producing audio stories, photo essays, video and text about the Hillsborough River.

Digital Journalism and Design Program Director Mark Walters, who is actively involved with the proposal, explained that creating a studio out of an office space would not be complicated. Soundproofing a room comes on a modest budget,

he said, and it would be a fairly simple job.

There’s been talk from WUSF and the department about hous-ing the recording booth in the Peter Rudy Wallace building so it would be in the same building as the Journalism and Media Studies Department. Currently, PRW 103 is in the running, which was formerly occupied by Assistant Director of Leadership Charlie Justice.

[email protected]

WUSF eyes campus for space

By Tyler KilletteStaff Reporter

The USF St. Petersburg Sustainability Initiative launched a recycling campaign calling for 20 new recycling stations on campus.

Sophia Constantine, a deputy of Student Government’s Sustainability Initiative, and Sarah Smith, a SG senator, will propose the bill on Feb. 8, asking for about $10,000 to fund the project.

The new recycling stations would replace the receptacles already on campus, which, while only 3 years old, have acquired rust damage from rain, causing some of them to wobble.

Each station will contain both a trash can and a recycling bin, adding convenience to the disposal process, Constantine said. She feels this will be more efficient than the current set up, which has trash cans and recycling bins placed sporadi-cally throughout campus.

The bill asks for money from SG’s capital account, made up of activity and service fees that cost students $25.05 per credit hour.

Constantine says the capital account still holds a substantial amount of money for this late in the school year, but she would not be surprised if SG does not agree to fund the entirety of the project.

If SG agrees to only fund a por-tion of what is needed, her “plan B” is to go to the Student Green Energy Fund, to which each stu-dent contributes $1 per credit hour. Any usage of the fund must first be approved by USFSP faculty members.

Constantine and Smith gauged

student interest in the recycling program through posts and polls on various student-run Facebook pages, all of which were well received, they said.

They also created a petition attempting to gain as many sig-natures of approval as possible. In only her first hour of walking around campus with the petition, Constantine acquired nearly 60 signatures.

From Feb. 5 to 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Constantine will be set up outside of the University Student Center with members of SG. While they sign students up for Pete Sync, she will provide information on the recycling program and collect signatures.

In addition to the recycling cam-paign, the Sustainability Initiative is working on a bike share program that would allow students to check out bikes from the waterfront for up to seven days at a time.

It is also scouting potential sites for a butterfly garden, work-ing to get a sub-metering system installed that tracks the amount of energy used in each building on campus and — a more ambitious project — determining student interest in establishing a minor in sustainability.

The Sustainability Initiative meets Thursdays at 5 p.m. in the USC Palm Room and welcomes all students.

[email protected]

Students plan recyling cans

The Sankofa African American Museum, a traveling museum that showcases the heri-tage, legacy and challenges of African Americans from 1860 to present, will be at USF St. Petersburg’s Harbor Hall gal-lery on Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The exhibit takes audiences on a journey through slavery, the King Cotton era and eman-cipation. USFSP’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is hosting the museum in celebration of Black History Month. It is free and open to the public.

A campaign to encourage students to drink more water by USF Wellness posted signs with the word “swallow” in bold, pink print throughout the Tampa campus.

The campaign, which intended to catch students’ atten-tion, was not well received by everyone. Some students were offended by the term’s underly-ing meaning, finding it deroga-tory and offensive. Despite com-plaints, USF Wellness did not remove the posters and plans to keep them up until the campaign ends on Feb. 8.

Application packets for Student Government positions are now available.

They can be found at the University Student Center help desk, the library, in Davis lounge, Bayboro Hall or in Academic Advising, SLC 1500. Elections will take place March 4 through 7.

The USFSP Graphic Design Program is presenting its “Big Kids” art show Saturday, Feb. 9 at Studio@620.

The exhibition features a col-laboration of work from graphic design students and students from Symmes Elementary School in Riverview.

The elementary school stu-dents began by drawing their favorite cartoon characters, which graphic design students used as basis for their own creations.

Donations and proceeds will benefit the family of Esteban Perez-Palmer, a former graphic design student whose newborn son was born with a heart defect. The show is free and begins at 6 p.m.

Freshman Zack Taylor (left) and Bill Tracy (right) cheer for the Baltimore Ravens at a Super Bowl watch party in the Reef on Sunday night. The event was co-hosted by the University Student Center and Harborside Activities Board. Interim Regional Chancellor Bill Hogarth supplied free food for students. The Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34 to 31.

Thomas Boyd, The Crow’s Nest

crowsneststpete.com February 4, 2013 | Volume 47 | Issue 20

By Tyler KilletteStaff Reporter

Interim Regional Chancellor Bill Hogarth is not among the top candidates up for the permanent chancellor position.

On Jan. 29, the 18-member Regional Chancellor Search Advisory Committee, headed by Frank Biafora, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, narrowed down the pool of candidates from six to three after two days of interviews.

The committee recommended Ron Brown, senior vice president of Academic Affairs and provost at Wayne State

University, Ralph Rogers, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at Purdue University Calumet, and Sophia Wisniewska, chan-cellor at Penn State Brandywine.

A private firm will run extensive background checks on the three final-ists, who will then face a series of inter-views and public presentations at USF St. Petersburg the weeks of Feb. 11 and Feb. 18. USF President Judy Genshaft will ultimately choose the candidate she sees best fit for the position. There is no set deadline for her decision at this time.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that the three finalists are technically

recommendations and Genshaft still has the ability to choose another candidate that may have not made the most recent cut — meaning Hogarth could still be offered the position.

The Times also reports that the chosen candidate may not accept the position, referring to Brown, who is up for another job.

Hogarth has not released a statement on the matter at the time of reporting and could not be reached for comment.

[email protected]

Search narrowed to three

Sophia WisniewskaPenn State Brandywine

Ronald Brown Wayne State

Ralph RogersPurdue University Calument

crowsneststpete.comFebruary 4, 2013 | Volume 47 | Issue 20

By Amanda StarlingCrow’s Nest Correspondent

A harmonica wailed through the open air, acting as an auxiliary Fountain of Youth. G. Love, return-ing to Jannus Live with guest cellist Special Sauce, turned middle-aged concertgoers into 16-year-olds Saturday night.

Fusing blues, funk and a rap undertone, G. Love spat zingy mel-odies over long, drawn bass notes. Quick-paced and energized, there was little time for words beyond lyrics. With Chili Peppers speed and the raspy allure of Gavin Degraw in his voice, G. Love pres-ents a unique sound blend.

A crowd of 30-plus fans drove the show. G. Love’s appeal lies in his balance of funk and honesty. College listeners can find a hook in his tales of underage lust for alco-hol and dreams of women. “Cold Beverage,” about four songs in, left the crowd roaring at the prospect of asking for alcohol.

“I wrote this song when I was underage. Standing outside the liquor store, just praying for some-one to bring me some good times,” G. Love said to the crowd of 1,200.

G. Love’s idea of a slowdown was found only in “Baby’s Got Sauce,” which featured an easy drumbeat that left hips swaying. He closed the show with “Booty Call”, perhaps trying to help a pair of drunken fans with his smooth harmonic charm.

G. Love’s Garrett Dutton has mastered guitar and harmonica

after 20 years of playing. He regu-larly reminisces over his first meet-ing with drummer Jeffrey Clemens and the music that followed. Their music even reached fans of Jack Johnson when they collaborated with the artist on “Rodeo Clowns.” Johnson later signed Dutton to his label, Brushfire Records.

Throughout the night, Special Sauce pulled strings like ropes, tug-ging at bass chords and the hearts of fans during extended solos. It’s

clear why G. Love fans find shows that feature Sauce to be a treat. He brings a sense of intensity and passion.

Loyal fans boasted of five or more shows attended. Most were easily over the age of 30, recogniz-able by their talk of the Ice Palace, later renamed the St. Pete Times Forum and now the Tampa Bay Times Forum. However, they held an underground mentality towards their beloved music. Their jabs of

band loyalty made them hipsters of funk.

Opening act Swear and Shake did little for a mature crowd, but would have been a thrill for a younger audience. Pumped with youthful energy and spunky lyrics, they had a She & Him look, but an edgier sound. Lead singer Kari Spieler had the flair and voice to match Zooey Deschanel.

[email protected]

G. Love chills downtown

By Ryan BalloggStaff Reporter

Biology majors aren’t the only stu-dents getting accepted into medical school these days. In fact, there are medical programs seeking out stu-dents with atypical degrees.

Recently married, Katie and Israel Wojnowich are complet-ing their residencies at Bayfront Medical Center. They will soon be looking for a practice to join, but neither one of them saw medi-cine in their futures until only a few years ago. Before applying for Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, Katie was a clas-sic languages major and Israel was studying film.

The program at Mount Sinai is different from other medi-cal programs because instructors use cross-disciplinary methods to teach. They want well-rounded

students who understand the per-sonal side of the practice as well as the technical, Katie said.

“More studies make you more passionate,” Israel said.

During the first two years of the program, students are graded on a pass-fail basis with hopes of elimi-nating some of the competitiveness and contention that gets in the way of learning. According to Israel, it allows students to decide whether they really want to pursue medi-cine or not.

Katie felt that the techniques suited her perfectly.

“I don’t know if one way is better than another. People just learn dif-ferently,” she said.

During the last two years, the classes are more hands-on and stu-dents participate in clinical rounds.

After graduating, doctors have to go through at least a year of training to get their license.

“After you’re done with medical school you realize the practical side of medicine,” Israel said.

Katie said that the program opened up a lot of residency options for her.

“Sometimes people aren’t sure what they want. Residency pro-grams let them figure out the right fit,” she said.

According to Israel, there are plenty of opportunities for employ-ment in the field. Many new doctors gravitate towards higher paying, specialized practices to pay off their medical school bills — leav-ing a great need for general practice doctors.

The couple debunked some common myths as well.

Shifts can be long, but not as long as they are sometimes made out to be on television. Sixteen hours is the federally mandated limit on the time that a first-year resident can be

on the floor at the hospital.“They’ve figured out that you

start losing efficiency after about 12 hours,” Israel said.

Another thing that new doctors aren’t always expecting is the end-less amount of paperwork.

Overall, they are both happy that they chose medicine as a career path. They still pursue their other interests on the side — when they have time.

“I love talking to people, and teaching people,” Katie said, who spoke to a group of Honors College students with her husband on Jan. 28. “Whether it’s a language or a disease state, in many ways it’s the same.”

More information on the medi-cal program at Mount Sinai can be found at mssm.edu.

[email protected]

Wayward paths toward MDs

CLOP. CLOP. CLOP. CLOP. BANG. CLOP. CLOP. CLOP.

You just witnessed an Amish drive-by-shooting.

Anyone recently clicking through random channels may have been frightened to encounter a certain show that relates the inter-actions of so-called “Amish Mafia” members. Even more frightening is that the show airs on the once-reli-able Discovery Channel. This just goes to show that there is always room for reality TV to get weirder, stupider and more pointless. Let’s just hope it never makes it as far as any of these proposals.

“When Pigs Fly” – A fight to the death competition where average Homo sapiens see who can launch a porker the farthest. Innovations may include but are not limited to bacon cannons and hog air balloons.

“BattleBrainz” – Hook up some wires to the craniums of individu-als with high IQ scores, and see who can think harder. The invis-ibility of brain waves might put the entertainment level near low, but the imaginative will see more than strained temples.

“Hogwarts after Harry” – Good luck getting the rights for this one, but a soap opera documenting the lives of young wizards and witches would be novel. Maybe not best-selling novel, but low-budget com-puter animation is always enjoy-able. Over Dumbledore’s dead body, you say? Just wait for the spin-off, “You Heartless, Heartless Hippogriff.”

S*M*A*S*H – You guessed it, a pri-metime hour-full of people smash-ing stuff. They better get it into pro-duction before Mythbusters fin-ishes filling the niche…

Squid Whisperer – The most unlikely creature to be whispered to is now being whispered to. What is it saying back? We’re not sure, but it likes the taste of gullible consumers.

Garret Dutton, better known as G. Love (the G stands for “Garrett”), plays a chilled-out brand of pop that has been a stable of dor rooms since the late 1990s

Courtesy of Cole24

crowsneststpete.com February 4, 2013| Volume 47 | Issue 20

crowsneststpete.com

The student newspaper at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

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Editor-in-Chief: Ren LaFoRme

Managing Editor: mike Hopey

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Mission Statement: The Crow’s Nest is committed to providing its readers with news relevant to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and its surround-ing community. The Crow’s Nest abides by the highest ethical standards and focuses on stories that help readers make informed decisions on current issues. We take seriously the public’s trust in our news reporting and strive to uphold the highest standards of reporting as defined by the Society of Professional Journalists.

The views expressed—both written and graphic—in the opinion section of The Crow’s Nest do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit letters to the editor to [email protected]. The Crow’s Nest reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publica-tion, please mark it as such. All submis-sions must include the author’s name, day-time phone number, and e-mail address. The Crow’s Nest is provided free by the Activities & Services Fee, and advertising. The Crow’s Nest neither endorses nor takes responsibility for any claims made by our advertisers. The Crow’s Nest office is located at:SLC 2400 University of South Florida St. Petersburg140 Seventh Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701(727) 873-4113

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Join us at our weekly staff meetings during the spring semester. Mondays at 5:00 p.m. in SLC 2400.

Facebook: The Crow’s Nest at USF St. PetersburgTwitter: @USFcrowsnestcrowsneststpete.com

Throwback

February 4, 2013 | Volume 47 | Issue 20

Editorial

Open letter to new chancellor

No Idea a series by Elizabeth Malley

Editorial Cartoon

The French legislature abolished slavery and granted male universal suf-frage throughout all French Republic territories on Feb. 4, 1794, during a radical phase of revolution. Though Napoleon Bonaparte’s government later rolled back on these enactments — they were permanently passed in 1848 — the declaration came a full 71 years before the U.S. would do the same. Slavery is unlawful in most of the world today, but human traffick-ing remains a serious problem worldwide.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott calls the Super Bowl “the single largest human trafficking incident in the U.S.” The Florida Commission Against Human Trafficking estimates tens of thousands of women and children were trafficked through Miami for the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa.

Dear Ronald Brown, Ralph Rogers and Sophia Wisniewska,

Congratulations on your advancement to the final round of the hiring process. In coming weeks, one of you will be selected to lead USF St. Petersburg through an era of great national and local tur-bulence. While the United States struggles to emerge from a reces-sion in a post-manufacturing age, USFSP is caught between identities.

Are we a commuter campus or a residential one? Do we want to be a big school — like the one in Tampa with which we share a name — or should we limit our size? Are we Bulls or are we something else?

There are many things you’ll need to address as regional chan-cellor. Few students agree on any of them, even fewer administrators do, and some will bring you open disdain from your supervisors in Tampa. They include:

Independence is a ponder-ous issue at USFSP. The men and women who lobbied for a university in St. Petersburg in the 1950s and 1960s envisioned an independent campus. They settled for a branch

of USF, but the dream never died.USFSP became a separately

accredited entity in 2006, and administrators will tell you it is “fis-cally autonomous.” The truth is that the two schools are tied together in ways not everyone understands. Students pay athletic fees and technology fees that are routed to Tampa, and professors who earn grants lose a significant chunk to the coffers of Fowler Avenue. If you have a free weekend, try to figure out how the school accounted for student fees and building bonds when they built the University Student Center.

Most students will tell you they love being a Bull, but there are plenty of faculty who do not. A bipolarity of bull and marine-themed meta-phors exist on campus. You will soon learn the term “Bullsharks” is thrown around in some circles.

The cost to attend the school is important to keep in mind. You all come from public institu-tions, but Florida’s are among the most affordable in the country — and USFSP’s costs of attendance is below the Florida average.

However, our activities and

service fees are much higher than other Florida public universities. Much of that was levied to pay for our “student union,” the USC, which doesn’t provide much for students besides poorly received food. The rest is used bring bronze bulls and aquariums to campus, while the health center operates with half the funding it needs.

New ideas for education are spreading in St. Petersburg. The entrepreneurship program is turn-ing out dozens of young men and women who have plans to create. Some of them have already become minor celebrities in the Tampa Bay area business community, even though the program is only a few years old.

The Digital Journalism and Design program is the school’s first online-only master’s program. In an age where journalists are strug-gling to keep up with the pace of the Internet, this program looks for-ward to learn how we can do things better.

Job satisfaction varies wildly on campus. A shockingly large group of popular professors were passed a pink slip this semester, and many

others drive to work every day afraid for their jobs. With declin-ing revenues from Tallahassee belt-tightening, we understand that some cuts are necessary, but there are adjuncts at USFSP who teach more classes than hands have fingers.

The campus needs some heal-ing, and you’re going to have to be the person to do it.

Of course, there are many things to love about “the jewel by the bay.” Nestled in the downtown area, on a waterfront and close to I-175, the location is unrivaled in Tampa Bay. Class sizes remain small, and many students take advantage of it — it’s not uncommon to see them spend-ing time with teachers outside of class. Hundreds of students are passionate about the environment, about entrepreneurship, about gov-ernment. They pursue their inter-ests and bring recognition back to this little school in St. Petersburg.

And we need you to do the same. We wish the three of you luck in coming weeks, and we look forward to seeing what you can accomplish.

crowsneststpete.com February 4, 2013| Volume 47 | Issue 20

My big fat Greek problem

By Frank KurtzStaff Columnist

The Tavern at Bayboro carried all four categories they were an option for during the 2013 Student Choice Awards, conducted by The Crow’s Nest. The Tavern won “Best Sandwich Shop,” “Best Cuban Sandwich,” “Best Lunch Alternative” and the coveted “Best Hangout” awards.

There are too many sandwiches to count on the menu, and if for some reason they don’t have what you desire, the friendly staff behind the bar can probably make what your taste buds desire. While on the topic of sandwiches, the Cuban sandwich may be the best seller — I watch countless of these fine sam-miches made, ordered, and eaten daily.

Let me be honest. Going hungry is a better alternative than eating at the dining hall in the University Revenue Building. However, since we all have to eat in order to sur-vive, The Tav is a perfect spot to eat

lunch.Not only do they have the infi-

nite sandwich possibilities as men-tioned above, but they also have a grill that produces excellent burg-ers (I’d suggest the burger and bacon fixed with toasted rye bread, no butter, or as Tom refers to it: the patty melt) and a fryer that churns out excellent fried food (my girl-friend and I are major proponents of the chicken tender basket.) Tavern fries are better than dining hall fries.

Cheap beer (where else in St. Petersburg can you get the hang-over-proof champagne of beers: Genesee Cream Ale), great atmo-sphere and clientele, and excel-lent food are just some of the rea-sons why The Tavern won “Best Hangout.” Located a two-minute brisk walk from Davis Hall, you can grab an ice cold brew and check the score of the game while on break during in those 6 to 9 p.m. or 6 to 10 p.m. classes. It’s also a great place to relax for a few minutes between classes during the day; those ice

filled Styrofoam cups are a tell-tale sign that somebody was Tav-ing it up.

I have made a number of friends during my two years at USFSP, most of which I’ll see at some point during the week at The Tavern. One can almost tell what day of the week it is by who is sitting at the picnic tables. I met my girlfriend while sitting at those tables. We even spent an entire evening there talk-ing until we saw the tbt* delivery person and heard the birds singing their morning songs.

I have a good friend that will send you a “quick to the Tavern” text message if he hasn’t seen you lately or he just would like some company while drinking his Miller Lite.

There are decks of cards if that is your fancy, as well as numer-ous board games, dominos, and of course the legendary “life sized Jenga” that always will draw the attention of those sitting outside. Frequently towards the end of the semester it is common to see classes

convening at The Tav discussing the school year and saying their goodbyes.

Since The Tavern is technically not on campus, smokes are free to smoke their cancer sticks with-out fear of violating the on campus smoking ban (that really ain’t enforced anyway). There is open mic night on Wednesdays, and if you stick around long enough, you can watch me on stage signing some Bob Seger, Harry Chapin, or a now the fan favorite “spoken word Hotel California.” All of these selections generate countless laughs.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the staff at The Tavern at Bayboro. I have been to most all the bars in downtown St. Petersburg at one time or another during my tenure at USFSP, but the folks at The Tav are by far the best. They know who I am and I know who they are. I can talk lacrosse with one, any number of sports with most, the latest Ke$ha song with others, or what new article of cloth-ing one got from a thrift shop. They

can tell if I’m having a bad day or stressed and (aside from rooting for sports teams from Boston, as one staff member does) I usually can see if something is awry in their lives. When I walk up to the bar, even if there is a line, they usually reach for my glass and start pouring me a Genny. Thank you.

The Tavern at Bayboro is a fan-tastic place. There are mentions about it in previous Crow’s Nests from years ago — just look at the PDFs on the USFSP library web-site. It makes me happy knowing that we are carrying on a Nest tra-dition (some of us on the staff can recall the seven pitchers of cream ale night last year).

So if you have been living under a rock while at USFSP, go ahead and venture over to The Tav for a beer and sandwich. It’ll be worth your while and dime.

[email protected]

By Lazar AndersonGuest Columnist

There’s a bill in the senate asking members of Student Government to pledge their support for Greek life. It’s an unusual concept, as most senators have never experienced it. If there’s one argument I’m tired of hearing, it’s that “If you don’t like Greek life, you can just choose not to go Greek.”

It doesn’t work that way. A heavy presence of Greek life on campus changes the dynamic for everyone, and it’s undoubtedly for the worse for the majority of students that aren’t Greek. Before I tell you why, let’s get one thing straight.

We’ll start by removing the unfair stereotypes that often come up. No, Greek life does not mean a legion of backwards-hat-wear-ing bros from the Delta Beta Alpha Gamma frat are going to descend upon our campus, sandal slapping each other over spilt Natty Light. No, a bunch of rich Delta Umbra Mu girls will not be throwing an all pink Chihuahua fashion show, proceeds going to feed Susan G. Komen’s unquenchable thirst for administrative fees. To some extent, members of fraternal organizations will not follow these typecasts.

Let’s also get rid of an unreal, supposed upside. There will not be on campus fraternity and sorority houses that host parties anytime in

the near future. We don’t yet have a College of Business building, and students will be paying a small for-tune for the University Student Center for years. Rivaling party houses in walking distance to your classroom? Not happening.

Though the reason Greek life doesn’t belong at USFSP is actu-ally far worse than stereotypes aris-ing. Whether or not you realize it, there’s a special culture at USFSP. It’s like nothing I’ve seen elsewhere. It has to be cherished, respected and preserved.

And Greek life would kill it.I was a ghost before I transferred

here from the University of North Florida — a college with many fra-ternities and sororities. Coming to class late, leaving early or not showing up at all, I had thought of campus involvement as lame; what students who weren’t old enough to enter a bar did.

Flash forward two years after transferring, and I’m in organiz-ing for SG, the entrepreneurship club, and writing for this paper (and more than old enough to drink). This place has turned me, of all people, into someone who’s more involved in the extracurric-ular than most any other student. How? Our culture of inclusion. People reach out to one another in this little place. Our clubs and orga-nizations are full of friendly faces that are here to help. They’ll take

anyone, and pay for them to attend events. It’s really kind of beautiful how it works.

Add Greek life and you sub-tract from that culture. Tomorrow’s friendly faces are instead pitched to join exclusive cliques. Those con-nections, friends and opportuni-ties that are currently available all over campus are no longer for your enjoyment — they’re for your pur-chase. Greek life means paying for your connections, paying for your experiences and to some extent paying for your friends. You must pay sacrificing your pride (humil-iating yourself by pledging) and money (dues), part of which is kicked back to some far away national chapter.

Add Greek life, and the rest of our college experiences are cheap-ened for the supposed benefit of a few cliques.

It should be noted that our cur-rent on campus fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, doesn’t put their pledges through humiliating initiations. DSP is the business frat, and a pro-fessional fraternity is something very different from a social one. I actually like their presence on campus, and feel it has the poten-tial to add to our college experience.

Sorority-in-the-making Delta Sigma Zeta is also free of charge and pledging rituals — for now. President Amanda DiCicco has been diligently working since

founding the organization in August 2012, and wants to see it become part of one of the 26 national sororities. Unfortunately, that’s where the inclusivity ends. Once going national, the sorority will have to charge fees dictated by their H.Q. — wherever that is. And the initiation? According to DiCicco, “Sisters can’t talk to other sisters about the initiation process. They would send people from other local chapters or to teach us and to make sure we can pass on the tradi-tion correctly.”

I am by no means saying DiCicco’s sorority will be one that conducts hazing. I am saying, how-ever, that with enough Greek orga-nizations on campus, it will happen.

Take the frats at our Tampa campus, like Omega Psi Phi. Back in 2010 they beat their pledges with 2-by-4s, told them to bounce their bruised bottoms on railroad tracks and then required them to go out and buy chicken and beer. When their offerings were deemed unsat-isfactory, they were beaten again. This was only a few years after Lamda Chi Alpha shut down its USF chapter, in part due to hazing.

Of course, every Greek organi-zation will tell you they don’t haze; that it’s against the law. Yet it still happens. It’s inevitable that if we move toward Greek life at USFSP, hazing will rear its ugly head.

And that says nothing about the

loss of integrity the surviving stu-dent organizations would have. When I was hired to be part of SG’s executive board, I knew only the president. The rest are an ideal mix of diverse candidates best suited for their individual positions.

Too many student governments are run by exclusive, Greek orga-nizations. Imagine a student body president that was also part of a fra-ternity. It would be a board full of frat brothers, with one or two token diversity hires.

This campus is a place where students learn, make friends, con-nections, and memories (the sup-posed benefits of Greek life) for free already, without all the baggage Greek life brings.

Maybe in 10 or 20 years (though I’d hope never) it could work. If we were a bigger school, we could support Greek life and still have enough students to support a cul-ture of inclusion, with a healthy amount of student clubs and orga-nizations. Maybe if we doubled our students, we could do both. Right now, it’s not an option.

Either we have our awesome, inclusive and engaging culture, or we give it up for a poor mimicry of the Greek life in other schools. This place is too small for both.

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USFSP’s Tavern is a treasure

crowsneststpete.comFebruary 4, 2013 | Volume 47 | Issue 20

By Samantha OuimetteStaff Reporter

Here we go again.On Tuesday, Stuart Sternberg,

the principal shareholder of the Tampa Bay Rays’ ownership group, revamped his effort to get the Rays out of Tropicana Field and into a new stadium.

Speaking in front of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, Sternberg and a group of Rays’ executives presented their case for needing options to relocate to a new stadium.

The group claims that the orga-nization, which was last in Major League Baseball in attendance during the 2012 season with an average of 19,255 fans per game, is struggling because it is “hand-cuffed to the Trop.”

“If they were located in a better location, I would definitely go to more games,” said John Bos, a Tampa resident. “But right now it is almost an hour trip there, and an hour trip back. The Rays are one of the top 10 MLB teams when it comes to television ratings. So the fan base is there.”

The stadium debate has not changed since the issue was last discussed in 2009. The Rays have a lease agreement with the city of St. Petersburg to remain at Tropicana Field through the year 2027, and the agreement prohibits them from discussing possible relocation with other cities. St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster uses this provision to stop any relocation talks.

“Attendance would be way better in Tampa,” said Sal Cenete, of Tampa, “Look at the Lightning. Four straight sellouts and the tick-ets cost double what the Rays

Anywhere but here

San Francisco 49ers corner-back Chris Culliver stirred up controversy earlier this week when he made homo-phobic comments during a radio interview. When asked if he would accept an openly gay player on his team, Culliver replied, “No, we don’t got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do … can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah … can’t be … in the locker room man. Nah.”

Culliver has since apologized for his comments, calling them “ugly”, and insists that he loves the city of San Francisco, which has one of the largest gay com-munities in the nation. He has also agreed to attend sensitivity training and education follow-ing the Super Bowl, and pledged to volunteer with at-risk homo-sexual youth throughout the nation.

The Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLVII gets to go to Disney World, but what do the losers get? Jell-O.

As part of a new marketing strategy, those at the organiza-tion’s front office has said that the company will be handing out thousands of cups of free Jell-O products on Tuesday in the losing city. Former players from the losing team will help hand out cups of chocolate pud-ding, the Jell-O’s best-selling product. Fans who do not live in the team’s home city can down-load a coupon for free Jell-O to be redeemed at their local store.

Warren Sapp, former defen-sive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a member of its 2002 Super Bowl champi-onship team, has been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sapp is the only first-ballot Hall of Famer in Buccaneers history, and the second player in Buccaneers history to be voted into the Hall of Fame after Lee Roy Selmon. The 2013 class includes legendary coach Bill Parcells, former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Larry Allen, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter, and Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden.

By Samantha OuimetteStaff Reporter

Mark your calendars, Bulls. USF and the Tampa Bay Rays have teamed up for the sixth year in a row to put on a special event for current students and alumni.

The USF Alumni Association has confirmed the sixth annual “USF Night at the Rays” will take place on Saturday, Aug.. 3 at Tropicana Field. That night will pit the hometown Rays against the reigning World Series cham-pions San Francisco Giants in a rare matchup, with the two teams not having played each other since 2004.

The USF community can buy discounted ticket prices, with a portion of each ticket sold going directly to the USF Alumni Association. Special guests at the game will include school mascot

Rays and USF team up

Rocky the Bull, former USF athlet-ics stars and the Sun Dolls.

Current and former Bulls who attend the game will also enjoy an

exclusive giveaway that commem-orates the continuing partnership between USF and the Rays within the Tampa Bay community.

charge.”Sternberg is lobbying for support

to move the team to another loca-tion within the Tampa Bay region. He continually references the find-ings of a report published by the ABC Coalition — which identi-fied four possible sites for reloca-tion (three were in Hillsborough County) — as the best solution to the Rays’ current attendance and revenue issues.

St. Petersburg generates millions in tax revenue every year by simply having the Rays in the city, and Tropicana Field provides hundreds of jobs to people within a region that has struggled economically for some time. Sternberg says he is losing money every year by paying out millions to keep high-end play-ers but barely getting any revenue in return.

Rays fans in St. Petersburg nat-urally have a different view on relocation.

“The reason there are so few season ticket holders in St. Pete is that [Sternburg] said the team was

going to be vaporized and every-one knows they are moving out of the city,” said Michael Kirchner, a St. Petersburg native. “Why would they invest in a team that has clearly stated ‘we hate our home and we want to leave’?”

These opinions represent the dilemma that the Rays’ ownership faces in regards to relocation. With three times more relocation options located in Hillsborough, the Rays risk further alienating a fan base that has already endured years of “will they or won’t they?” questions concerning the team potentially moving. If the Rays do not move, they risk not being able to sustain themselves in the future.

Commission Chairman Kenneth T. Welch understands the dilemma and encouraged a meeting between Foster and Sternberg, noting “if the mayor comes to a point where he allows you to look at both coun-ties, I would be very supportive of that because I don’t see another way forward.”

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Courtesy of OpakapakaTropicana Field opened in 1990 in hopes of attracting a Major League team.

Courtesy of USF AthleticsJoe Madden enters his eighth season as Rays skipper in 2013.

By Mike HopeyStaff Columnist

This is my Super Bowl column. The game has been played and like every other sports writer I will try to find the story that no one is talk-ing about; the story that makes the reader scratch his or her head and say, “hmm.”

Wasn’t the Super Bowl great? I can’t believe Joe Flacco or Colin Kaepernick played so well. Can you believe that’s how Ray Lewis’ career ended?

So OK, this column was written before the Super Bowl was played, about 30 minutes to be exact. What else can I say about a game many of us pretend to have an interest in?

For the next week, columnists will write about the Super Bowl and wrap up all the loose ends of the NFL season. The national spot-light will then search for something to focus on until baseball starts up again. The NBA, NHL and March Madness will all have their time to shine before baseball’s endless summer marathon starts.

What will be overlooked, again, is women’s college basketball. That is no less true here in the USF com-munity and on the sports page of The Crow’s Nest. When it comes to covering the Lady Bulls, we have sucked.

Women’s basketball isn’t as exciting as the men’s game. It’s not as fast, and the boys can dunk. Those are the things that sell tick-ets. But that isn’t to say that the women’s team works less hard or doesn’t care as much.

Looking at their records, it looks like the Lady Bulls might be work-ing a lot harder than their male counterparts.

USF’s women’s basketball team is 15-6, 4-4 in the Big East. They sit right in the middle of the standings. There are some winnable games left, like a Feb. 9 trip to Providence and a Feb. 16 home game against Seton Hall. UConn, the No. 3 team in the country, will make a trip to the Sun Dome on Mar. 2.

With no football on you are all going to need something to do. Why not go to a game, or read a game recap. It’s not going to kill you. Girls don’t have cooties.

So, how was that for finding the Super Bowl story no one is talking about?

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USF women’s basketball: Something to fill that football void